The Lost War
by Strawberry Alacrity
Summary: Konoha is dead. All that remains are small pockets of resistance. Sakura Haruno just wants to get by this winter, preferably without any lost limbs. So how does she get mixed up in the hushed up war between the Goverment and the Resistance? AU, SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

Liek no way! Feareth _actually _updated something! -everyone faints-

So, I'm sorry for anyone that read my other stories, and my lack of updates - I was on "Fanfiction hiatus" ...heh?

But I'm working on In Which Tenten Finds a Diary, and Special Moments, so no worries. Actually, IWTFaD is on hold. The writer blocks frustrates me...

Anyway, new story! It's obviously AU, if you read the summary P

Quick History: Konoha was taken over by the Sound, after a really long war, and now Konoha is in ruins, with everyone REALLY poor, and people being taken away and shot during the night, if the leader of Sound decided he didn't like them, or if he was just in that kind of mood. He loves to control, torture and humiliate Konohaians.

**Summary: Konoha is in ruins. It's a dead city, with disheartened inhabitants. The only people that still remain truly loyal to the former capital are the small pockets of resistance, pockets that are getting smaller every day. The new goverment is hunting them down, one by one. Sakura Haruno just wants to get by alive this winter, hopefully without loosing any limbs. So how did she get mixed up in this hushed up war? **

**Pairings: SasuSaku, NaruHina, ShikaIno, NejiTen, (implied Jaraiya/Tsunade? KakaAnko?)**

**So...Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Me.No. Own.**

* * *

Running a hand through her long pink hair, Sakura leaned against the wall of the bar and sighed, glancing around at the run-down building. 

It wasn't that she liked working here- the place was full of drunkards, thieves, and perverts, all trying to score with her. It was just that she needed the job to stay alive. It sucked to be honest. Now that the war was over, the once rich capital city, Konoha, was basically just a pile of rubble. The few shops and businesses still standing were either infested with rats- human and animals-, were extremely low paying -who could even afford paying employees anymore?- or the worst.

Loyal to the bastards who had won the war and taken over Konoha.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a mans voice called out to her.

"Hey, baby, hit me with a beer."

She glanced over to see a scruffy looking man with blackened teeth leering at her. Her eyes narrowed in a glare, but she leaned under the counter to grab a glass. As she opened the cupboard, she let out a small shriek.

A rather large rat had just scrambled over her hand, and landed on the floor. It sat there for a moment, eyeing her beadily, before skittering off. Her lips twitched in distaste. Rats had to be the only things thriving after this war. Standing up, she filled the glass, and pushed it towards him. Coming around the counter, she held out her hand.

"Sir, that'll be three dollars."

"Now, sweetie, what makes yeh think I'm going to pay?"

Sakura scowled. "I think that you're going to pay because this is as damn close to a business as you're going to get around here, and we don't hand out our things for free. Now fork it over."

Instead of paying, the man simply grinned at her, his smelly breath washing over her face. She faintly wondered when the last he brushed his rotten teeth was. Oh right. They didn't _make _toothpaste anymore, because no one could ever buy it.

"Yeh're a feisty one ain't ya?" He said, looking at her. She glared at him.

"Just pay." she muttered, her face turning red. To her complete surprise, he handed over three crumpled bills.

Complete with a wad of tobacco on top.

Sakura's lip curled in disgust, but she stuck the bills in the register, and went back to thinking. It wasn't long uintil his voice broke through her reverie.

He motioned her towards him with one finger.

"What now?" Sakura asked irritably.

"I wash hoping for anosher drink." He slurred. Sakura frowned. _That drink must be more powerful than I thought. Damn. _"On the houshe." He continued.

"Too bad. If you want a drink, you're going to have to pay."

"You reall - hic- are shexy." Sakura's eyes widened as she felt something moving up her leg. His hand.

Instinct prompted her to drive her elbow into his face. Blood spurted everywhere. She had probably broken his nose, but she had already kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. He collapsed on the floor, whimpering. Sakura didn't care. She simply went on with her job. That is until her boss came storming in.

"Haruno! What the hell did you just do?"

Sakura was so mad, and it appeared in an icy calm. Without looking at her boss, she continued to wipe a glass she had in her hand, not noticing that she was wiping blood on it instead.

"I just broke a man's nose." She replied. Her boss's face contorted in anger.

"You...attacked...a customer!?" He asked, looking pissed. Sakura remained calm.

"I believe that's what I just said, sir. That is if you'd ever call this rat a customer." She answered.

"Damn it Haruno! Your fired!" He shouted. At this, 'Haruno's' anger receded. She gaped at him.

"W-what? Sir why-what? Why?"

"Get out Haruno." He glared at her. Sakura felt as if she was going to die- without a job, she probably would- but she held her head high, and strode out of the door, openly flipping off her boss, and the man that had tried to grope her.

* * *

Sakura pulled her thin coat tighter around her shoulders, torn between anger and helplessness. Winter was approaching, and without a job, she wouldn't be able to pay the rent for her apartment, or the heating bill. Chances were that she'd be dead by mid-winter, if she didn't find another job. 

She sighed, glancing up at the night sky. The stars glinted coldly back down at her.

A woman grabbed her coat.

"Pl-please ma'am." She rasped. "Please; a f-few coins. My little o-one."

Sakura took a moment to study her. Her face was pale and drawn, her lips a thin line. Her hazel eyes were bloodshot, and her once brown hair was shot with gray. Sakura winced. She looked older, but she couldn't be much older than herself, nineteen. Which also qualified her as something else.

No one really had families or relationships. It was too much hassle these days, weddings were nonexistent. You're spouse would probably die the next day, so why bother? And most relationships ended in the middle of the night, with one leaving the other. They were just too poor, or there was too much to worry about.

That meant that any girl under, what, thirty? Well, any woman around twenty with a child was probably a prostitute. Sakura didn't feel any disgust towards the woman, though, which she probably would have before the war. It was probably the only job she could have gotten. Had Sakura not found the job at the bar, she would probably be working in a brothel about now.

Who knows, she might be working in a brothel in a few days.

Opening her mouth, Sakura started to say 'I'm sorry, I can't spare any money, no one can these days,' when a little face peeked out from behind the woman. A little girl, with dirty blonde curls framing her face, and huge blue-green eyes. Sakura changed her mind, and handed the woman some money.

"Get her a blanket, and something warm to eat." She said, looking away.

"Th-Thank you!" The woman looked close to tears. Sakura frowned.

"Please, don't thank me." She said, and walked away.

She had only wanted to make the child's last few days close to nice, for you could tell a few days was all she had left.

* * *

R/R 

Wewt? lolz

-Feareth da Kittay


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow...this should be considered a fast update for me... heh...**

**Merry Christmas! I meant to update this on Christmas Eve, but my mom wouldn't let me get on the computer. Not even when I said I was 'sending someone a Christmas Present'...Ah the joy of mothers...they can see _right through you _and dear god is it annoying. **

**Ah well...on the bright side, Naruto and Sasuke make an appearance! Heh, alright on with the tory, and I'll shut up.**

**Oh, but I do realize that Sasuke is OOC in this chapter. Well, everyone is OOC in this chapter, but with the rest of the story, I'll try to make them more in character. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I never have owned Naruto, nor will I ever own Naruto...**

* * *

_**The Lost War**_

_Chapter II_

Sakura sighed, kicking open the door, stripping out of worn shoes on her way into the bedroom of her three-room apartment, which she was lucky to have ever gotten.

"Sakura-chan?" A weak, trembling voice called from the second room. Sakura was up in instant, to her mother's bedside.

"I'm here mom." She whispered, resting a hand on the older woman's arm reassuringly. Her mother smiled, her blind eyes staring into the nothingness. Perhaps being blind was a blessing, instead of a curse for her mother- she didn't have to witness the atrocities of the world today. She could continue to live in yesterday's world, a better time, where Konoha was like heaven.

"You're home early honey." He mother noted, and Sakura was once again amazed by her sense of time.

"Yeah," She said, her mind racing for an excuse. "I-I, we um…we closed early today." She lied, and her mother nodded. She started to say something, but was interrupted by a fit of coughing, that threw her entire feeble body into spasms. Sakura immediately grabbed the bottle of medicine that was always kept at her mother's bedside, and pried open the mouth, shoving the spoon down her mother's throat, with a lot of difficulty. When the coughing finally subsided, her mother rested against her chair, her breathing shallow.

"Mom," Sakura started, "You didn't take the medicine, did you?" she asked, and her mother shook her head, and then quickly changed the subject, as Sakura glanced around the bare apartment.

"Where is Naruto-kun?" She asked, and Sakura snorted.

"You expect me to know? I honestly prefer not to, with the kinda jobs he gets." She responded, turning away, and closed her eyes. Speak of devil though, at that moment, the blonde burst through the door.

"Hello Ayaka-chan!" He shouted, before turning to his friend. "Sakura! Why are you home?" He asked.

Sakura gave him a sad smile. "They closed early." She explained, but silently mouthed '_I got fired'. _He grimaced slightly, before mouthing back. _I'll see what I can do to find another one for you._ She grinned. _Good luck with that. _

"Cool. Well, you get to meet my um…coworker then!" he said, typically in his happy mood. Sakura's eyes were drawn to the door as a tall figure stepped in, and she immediately blushed. The phrase 'Tall, Dark, and handsome' had never been so true. He was, like she said, tall, and a happy medium between lanky and buff. His skin was ivory, and his eyes a brilliantly contrasting onyx. His hair- which would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, but worked for him- was spiked in the back, with bangs that framed a perfectly chiseled face. Her hands already itched to paint him- she had been preparing to either go to art school or medical school before the war.

"I-I…uh…hi." She said lamely, kicking herself for sounding so stupid. He smirked at her, and was about to respond, when Naruto- surprise, surprise- opened his mouth.

"Sakura-chan, this is Sasuke-teme- Sorry Ayaka-chan, but once you get to know him, he _is _a teme. Sasuke-teme, this is Sakura-chan."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey."

She felt so small and insignificant right then, getting lost in his dark eyes, feeling like she was in a trance. She actually must have been, because the next thing she knew, Naruto was waving a hand in front of her face, shouting; "Sakura? Sakura-chan! What's wrong with you?"

Sakura shook her head slightly, to clear it. "What? Oh, sorry. What did you say?" Naruto eyed her suspiciously, but then shrugged.

"I said that teme is gonna stay over tonight, cause, well….cause. It's classified." Sakura raised an eyebrow, and then shook her head again. _Right, classified. If it has anything to do with their jobs, I _really _don't want to know. _Then another thought occurred to her.

"Naruto, I' sorry, but I don't think he _can _stay," She muttered regretfully, hating herself for turning away the hottest thing to walk through that door since….well…the landlord, yesterday. And to be honest, the landlord more resembled an ass's ass than a human being.

He cocked his head quizzically at her, bright blue eyes confused. "Why not Sakura-chan?" He asked, and wordlessly, she opened up their worn cupboard. It was almost empty, aside from a lone can of beans, and two packets of rice. Naruto grinned though, and from behind his back- why hadn't she noticed he was hiding something before? - produced what seemed like a ton of Instant Ramen, (Naruto's Favorite) among over packages of preserved food. Sakura grinned, and threw her arms around Naruto's neck.

"Naruto, you baka! Why didn't you tell me this before?" Meanwhile, Naruto was slowly turning blue.

"Sakura…_Sakura! I. can't. Breath." _He managed to gasp, and Sakura let go of him, looking sheepish.

"Sorry." She murmured, and he looked at her reproachfully, trying to rub circulation back into his neck.

-----

Sakura rolled over on her lumpy mattress, staring at the dull, grey ceiling. This Sasuke character…he was interesting. Well, interesting other than the fact than he was the shining example of hotness.

She discovered that he was partnered with Naruto, for their jobs-obviously, he was the brains _and_ brawn, while Naruto was pretty much the brute force. Of course, that would also tip her off that they did some job that involved sneaking, killing, and god knows what else.

He was an Uchiha. An _Uchiha. _Once of the richest families in Konoha, the ones who had almost entirely been murdered by the Sound Leader because of their continued rebellion after the end of the war.

He had apparently been friends with Naruto as a child, one of the few people along with Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji who would talk to the poor orphan.

He wa-

Sakura's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by shouting and screaming outside of her flat. She was up in an instant, pulling on her pants, and her boots. Her hand reached the door, and the moment she opened it, she was met with a wall of heat. Horrified, she stared at the flames that were eating her kitchen, and then looked to Naruto, who was attempting to save as much clothing from the flames as possible, along with Sasuke. She began to run over to help them, when a fit of coughing alerted her from the over room. Terrified, Sakura dashed into her mother's room, to see her mother enveloped in smoke, unable to move from her bed.

"Mom!" She screamed, dashing over to the frail woman. She wasn't able to stop coughing. "Mom, c'mon mom, you have to get up. Mom? _Mom!" _She cried, starting to cough herself, the smoke burning her throat. Her mother weakly shook her head no, before collapsing against the pillow again.

"Mom, you can't quit now! Mom! Get up! We have to get out of here!" Ayaka Haruno smiled at her daughter for one last brief time, before closing her blind, emerald eyes. "Mom?"

"She's dead Sakura." A dark voice behind her said, and she spun around to see Sasuke, standing at the doorway, the flames at his back making him look like some hell-sent creature. Tears began to stream down her face, and she furiously shook her head no.

"She is not!" She screamed, and he grabbed her elbow, forcing her to stand.

"Yes, Haruno, she is. Now, would you like to share the same fate, or would you like to live? I would suggest following me, if you do wish to live." Still staring numbly at her mother- now her mother's corpse, Sakura allowed him to jerk her to her feet, and drag her out the door, feeling like she was watching this entire tragedy unfold from somewhere else. It felt so…unreal. Her mother couldn't be dead? Right? And her apartment really wasn't on fire, right? No, it wasn't happening. It was all a dream. Yeah, it was all just a dream.

Slightly dazed, she followed him to the doorway, but then she stopped. She turned around, staring in horror, as the room she had just left began to alight with flames. A wooden beam fell down from the ceiling, flames coming off of it. Sakura never knew what possessed her to do it, but ignoring Sasuke's shout of her name, she ran back into the room….

Right through a curtain of flame.

Ignoring the pain, she desperately pounded on her skirt, which had lit on fire, trying to smother the flames. Her hands screamed in pain, but finally, the fire was out. Somehow, her shirt had escaped being burned, by some miracle. The only thing still burning was her hair.

Sakura stared in horror as her long pink locks lit up in flames, half of them already burned. Some small, logical part of her brain though, told her to stop standing there like an idiot, and _do something._ She stared around frantically, looking for something, whether it be water, a towel, a knife, or what, but there was nothing. That is until a hand grabbed her hair right above where the fire was. Sasuke scowled as he sliced off the girl's hair right below the neck. , he then spun her around and glared at her.

"What the hell were you _thinking _Haruno?" He spat, looking pissed. Sakura shook her head, staring at the ground, tears leaking from her eyes. "That was _the most i_diotic thing I have ever seen someone do!" She tried to open her mouth.

"My mothe-"

"Your mother is _dead _Haruno!" He shouted, and she sank to her knees, now crying in earnest.

"N-no! She's not! She can't be!" She cried, and he sighed.

"Sakura, she is. Now come on." He muttered. Sakura refused, staying where she was.

"No! If she died here, then I'm going with her!" She whispered, and he glared. _Stupid idiot. _

Sakura stared up at him as he held her head for a moment.

Then everything was black.

-----

Naruto stared anxiously up at the burning building; _Where are they! Teme said he'd get Sakura! _

He had managed to wake up most of the inhabitants, and usher them out of the building, before the fire had spread, but Sakura, Sasuke, and Ayaka were still in there, and it didn't look like they'd be able to get out, with the front door now on fire. He mentally sighed. _Sasuke, _a top agent, wasn't able to get out of a fire? It didn't make sense, unless Sakura wouldn't let him leave.

At that exact moment, when Naruto started to give up and turn away from the building, someone kicked out the half-rotted planks covering the first-story window, and out climbed Sasuke, blackened with soot, and carrying an unconscious Sakura bridal-style in his arms. He strode past the gaping blonde as if nothing had happened, but motioned for Naruto to follow.

"Dobe," He hissed quietly. "I thought you said there was no one tailing us?"

"Well, I didn't think there was, teme!" He muttered, running to catch up with Sasuke's long strides. Naruto, observing their odd group, throwing the pathetically small pack of things saved from the fire over his shoulder. He noted that there was one person missing.

"Sasuke…where's Ayaka?" He asked quietly. Sasuke turned to him, and for a brief moment, his eyes softened, knowing that the woman had almost been a mother to the kid.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. She's dead." Naruto stood, frozen in place.

"No…" He whispered. Sasuke simply stopped, and closed his eyes. For a moment, time froze like that, the only thing moving being a breath of cold wind.

"C'mon Dobe. Let's get back to Headquarters."

* * *

**Alright, I admit, that fire scene was REALLY rushed- but that's me...I kinda suck with stuff like that XD**

**out of curiousity, has anyone heard of this site called Pandora? It's really cool, where you can pretty much make your own online radio station for yourself, with songs/styles that you like. I think I'm in love with it, heh. **

**Alright I'll stop talking- except to say, that Shika, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and ...everyone else, show up next chapter, and I really want to write it XD**

**So, Happy New Year guys, if I don't update by then!**

**-Feareth**


	3. Chapter 3

AHH! I am SO SO SO sorry for not updating recently...I just lost a lot of interest in Naruto. But I am BACK! MWAHAHA!

Alright, I just wanna thank my reviewers, and all of the people that took the time to read my story. Because you guys just pwn. Completely and utterly.

-Ahem- moving on...Go! GO AND READ, MY PRETTIES!

(seriously. I am HYPER right now. and I really don't know why...hmmm...)

* * *

Tsunade, more commonly known by her code-names, 'the fifth', Godaime, and (courtesy of Naruto) 'baa-chan', rested her head on her hands, observing a small section of pictures on her wall.

Her own grandfather, known as the First, or the Shodai, the founder of the resistance.

Her great uncle, known as "the Second", or Nidaime, the resistances second leader.

Then, the Sandaime, student of both of the leaders before him.

The Yondaime, Minato Namikaze, the fourth, and father of one of the resistance's most valuable members, though that certain member didn't know it.

All of them murdered, dead within months of their leadership, by the damnable Sound and Orochimaru. Hell, she didn't even _know _if Minato was alive or not; he had simply gone out once for a mission, and had never returned. His body was never found

Then there was the Uchiha clan, the Hyuugas, the Nara family, the Yamanakas, The Inuzukas, the Aburames, the Akimichis…all vital members of the secret organization.

She closed her eyes slightly, thinking them over. She had an insecurity; an insecurity that she shared with next to no one. She feared that she would never be able to as much for her organization as those who came before her did. She sighed, and turned around, picking up her small up of sake off of a cluttered desk. Before she held it to her lips, she quietly voiced her fear to herself.

"This resistance will fail," She muttered, and took a sip of sake.

"No," A deep voice said behind her, and she spun to look at the door. Her old teammate stood there, along with Shizune. "This resistance has _prospered _under you Tsunade."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're never serious like this, Jiraiya." She responded, and the white-haired man shrugged.

"Give a guy some credit- I cant be perverted _all _the time." He said defensively, and Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"I grew up with you- I know you always have something perverted running through that thick skull of yours. Why are you here?" She asked, and he held out a scroll.

"The Akatsuki dropped this off- they said that their informant had discovered something." Tsunade sighed again. Another thing she was worried about. She didn't trust the Akatsuki- but internally, she knew the group would never betray the resistance. They had a common goal. Or close to it.

The Akatsuki was betrayed by Orochimaru, the Sound leader, and they wanted him…preferably dead over alive.

The resistance's home country had been taken over by Orochimaru, and they wanted it back. Honestly, Tsunade didn't care what the Akatsuki did with him- she held no warm feelings towards her other teammate.

"Right," She muttered, taking it from his hand. She had broken the seal, and had begun unrolling it, when there was a loud pounding on the door.

"Tsunade! Tsunade-baa-chan! Open up!" Tsunade closed her eyes, and mentally groaned. Without waiting for slightest go-ahead from the Godaime, Naruto kicked open the door, and Tsunade rubbed her temples.

"Naruto, could you please, _please, _attempt to learn some subtlety and manners? It's only a matter of time before that door breaks!" She snapped, but Naruto didn't grin cheekily as he usually did. Instead, he threw her a worried glance.

"Tsunade-sama, this is serious!" he shouted, and Tsunade raised an eyebrow, resting her chin on her hands again.

"Serious, eh?" She asked, and he nodded urgently.

"Y-yeah…remember Sakura? The girl I live with, kinda like my sister? Well, S-sasuke and I were staying with her, cause we didn't want to lead them to headquarters, and I thought we lost them, but I guess we didn't, and they lit her apartment on fire, and Ayaka…Ayaka s-she ….she died." He said quickly, ending in a whisper. Tsunade nodded.

"And where is this Saku-" Her eyes were drawn to the door as Sasuke Uchiha carefully stepped through, a pink-haired girl hanging limply in his arms. "Ah, I'm assuming this is her?" She asked, motioning for him to set the girl on the table. "What did she do, jump through a fire?"

Sasuke made a noise, sounding like 'hn', which she took for a yes. "What is she, stupid?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Stupid? No. Hallucinating with grief? Yes." He said shortly. Tsunade simply shrugged; she'd get the details later. Truning to the dark-haired woman, she tossed a pair of keys.

"Get the medical room ready, Shizune." She ordered, and she took off.

-_x-x-x-x_

_The little pink-haired girl panted, after she shouldered the mattress against the wall. She seemed to be about twelve years old. _

"_Papa!" She called up the stairs. "I got the mattress up! What now?" _

_The Harunos were moving; away from this war-torn city, away from the horror. The man she called papa yelled down to her. _

"_Try and take apart the rest of it, and pack it." She smiled and returned to her job, not minding the increasingly loud sounds of booms; they were normal, now-a-days. She continued to pay them no mind, humming over the roar of the engines. _

_That is, she ignored it until an explosion rocked her house. _

_She screamed as the window, along with the wall blew inward, scratching the poor girls with shards of stone and glass. The entire world was shaking it seemed, and falling apart at the seams. Then the mattress fell on top of her, and everything went dark. _

_-- _

_Wincing, she opened her eyes to bright sunlight shining down on her, blinding her, as she struggled to get out from underneath the mattress. With an aggravated curse, she kicked it, sucessfully stubbing her toe, before shoving it upward. _

_Wait…Sunlight? Why in the world was there sunlight in her basement? She gaped as she saw her surroundings; the ceiling had been all but torn off, and piles of brick and stone scattered across her basement. Where the rest of her house had once stood, there was nothing except piles of debris. The surrounding houses were the same way. _

_Struggling to climb up the remains of the stairs (which was, essentially, three steps missing for every step that remained.) she pulled herself up out of the basement, hissing as shards of glass dug into her hands. Standing up, she stared around in wonder; all the building for at least a block had been torn apart and strewn around. Various furniture pieces had been blasted across the streets. In a daze, she leaned down and picked up a singed teddy-bear. It had been Tsuki's, her adorable three-year old neighbor. _

_Dust hung in the air, creating mesmerizing patterns in the dying sun. Her throat hurt, she noticed vaguely, beginning to cough. And her shirt was ripped; mama would be so disappointed. It was her favorite. _

_Only then did she notice the people; or the lack of people, and the presence of corpses._

"_Papa?" She whispered softly, her eyes wide. "Arere-san? Yamanaka-san? Ino-pig?" There was no answer. She began to walk, wincing as she put weight on her left foot, not noticing the blood running down her arms and legs. "Mama?" Her foot collided with something soft, and she screamed, jumping back. There was a man staring upward, his body cold and unmoving. With a sharp intake of breath she stepped back, her emerald eyes wide. _

"_Arere-san?" She whispered softly, her lower-lip trembling. "Arere-san?!" He didn't answer, as shook turned, tears streaming down her face and began to run. _

"_Papa! Papa, please, answer me! __**Papa!" **__Her desperate cries echoed throughout the empty block, lost in the dusty air. _

_Finally, she found him. He was lying outside their apartment building, a large gash made by a sharp piece of metal in his chest. His glassy eyes stared at the blood-soaked road, as his hand clutched a screwdriver. Even in death, he was smiling, though his mouth was open in the beginning of an expression of shock. _

_Her breath coming out in pained gasps, she fell to her knees beside him, crying. _

"_Papa?" She asked again, her voice soft, hopeless as she wrapped her arms around him, not noticing his blood seeping through her shirt. "Papa!" He was gone, dead; she realized, burying her head with its peculiar pink hair into his neck, sobbing. _

_She didn't know how long she remained that way, barely noticed as night fell. She didn't look up when footsteps approached her. She simply continued to hold her father's cold body, ont listening to the voices behind her._

"_Is…is she okay?" a voice asked uncertainly. There was the sound of someone snorting. _

"_Of course not, idiot. She's crying, isn't she?" Another, deeper voice. The first one began to argue with the second, when a third, feminine voice cut in sharply._

"_Enough, Kakashi, Obito." She snapped, "This isn't the time." There was a silence, and then the first voice sighed._

"_Yes, Rin-chan…" the one known as Obito murmured. 'Kakashi' said nothing. _

"_Are you alright?" the girl, Rin, murmured, resting her hand on Sakura's shoulder. Gulping nervously, Sakura turned around, staring up at the woman. She was astonishingly pretty, with short brown hair and kind brown eyes. Her features were delicate, and on either side of her face were two purple stripes. She was equipped in the uniform of the Konoha Disaster Unit, and with an insignia that identified her as a medic. Sakura shook her head, gripping her father's hand. Rin kneeled down, disregarding the blood, and gently took Sakura's other hand. _

"_Hey…hey, it's okay. You're safe, now." She whispered, discreetly attempting to loosen the young girl's grip on her father's hand. _

"_Rin-chan…" One of the men, Obito, who wore a strange pair of orange-tinted goggles, interrupted her. His eyebrows were drawn together in worry. "They're here. We gotta get out of here, 'fore they see us." Rin snapped her eyes to the horizon, and gasped silently. Approaching was a dark mass of soldiers, holding the flag of the Sound over their heads. _

"_Kami…oh Kami…" she groaned. "When will it stop?" She returned her attention to Sakura, her eyes pleading. "Please, kid, get up. We have to go." With a small whimper, Sakura stood, trembling. _

"_Kakashi, carry her please," Rin said, "Obito, can you grab my bag?" She withdrew something from her bag that resembled Sakura's idea of an explosive. Her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she poked a few buttons on it, before forcefully sticking it onto a wall of debris. The silver-haired young man, Kakashi, picked her up, as Obito swung a large bag over his shoulder, wincing. _

"_Let's go." _

_They began to run, Rin a few seconds behind them. She swore loudly as she tripped over pile of rubble, and rubbed her ankle. Obito stopped and spun around. _

"_Rin-chan!" He called. She glowered, struggling to her feet. _

"_I'm fine, keep going!" He nodded his head and she followed, a limp slowing her down. They boys gained ground as she lost it at an alarming speed. Sakura could clearly hear her ragged breathing. Obito stopped again._

"_Rin, stop! I'll carry you-" He was stopped as bullets tore through the air; Sakura looked back briefly, and screamed as the bullets ripped through Rin's abdomen, spraying blood everywhere. Her scream was cut short as she fell to the ground, her eyes wide, blood leaking out of her mouth, unmoving. Kakashi gaped in horror, before he was reminded of his duty, and clamped a hand over Sakura's mouth, effectively silencing her. _

"_No! _Rin!" _Obito yelled beginning to run towards her body, when Kakashi grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him forward. _

"_We've gotta go, idiot! Rin knew this could happen, and she still volunteered! Would she really want you dead too?" Obito struggled for a moment before resigning himself to his friend's logic, tears streaming down his face. _

_0/0/0/0/0_

"PAPA! RIN!" Sakura screamed, jolting upright in her bed. Her sheets were twisted around her body, and she was sweating. Her breath shaking, she wrapped her arms around herself for comfort, tears dripping onto the white sheets.

When she screamed, a figure sitting in a chair in the corner near the bed had jerked awake, instinctively gripping the weapon hidden in his shirt. Watching as she trembled like a leaf in the wind, Sasuke ran a hand through his dark hair. _Rin. _Why was that name familiar to him? He glanced up again as a sob escaped the girl's lips.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked softly, uncharacteristic of his personality. She looked up at him through puffy green eyes, biting her lip.

"No." She responded hoarsely, and he smirked slightly, noticing how dry her lips and mouth seemed to be. He filled a cup with water from a sink and handed it to her silently. She nodded her thanks, downing it in seconds, before examining the bandages on her arms and legs. Finally, she looked at him, where he was leaning against the faded white wall.

"Where am I?" He pushed off the wall, and peeked out the door, waiting for Naruto to show his face.

"A medical room." He said, "The resistance headquarters." She took the information rather well, he thought. She didn't scream, at least; this may have been due to the fact that she was drinking. However, she did choke on the water, and spray it from her mouth in shock. He chuckled slightly, tossing her a towel for her to wipe her face.

The events from before rushed through her mind, and she moaned, resting her chin in her hands. _Her mother…dead…_She bit her lip before the tears could come, and glanced up at Sasuke.

"I-…I'm really sorry about what happened in my apartment…I was acting like a total ass…" She muttered, fiddling with a strand of pink hair, avoiding his soul-peircing eyes. He simply nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But…Sasuke? What were you guys doing in my house, after all?" He tensed, turning his head away from her.

"Naruto and I…we had some things to do. Some people….they don't agree with what we weree doing." Okay, so Sasuke wasn't quite the next Shakespeare, but could he _be_ any _more _confusing? Sakura opened her mouth to ask a question, but the door slammed open.

"_Sakura-chhaaaaannn! _You're awake!" Naruto voice yelled as he vaulted on top of her bed, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. Sakura grinned, attempting to pry his hands off of her.

"Nice to see you too, Naruto-kun," She said dryly. Naruto had an irremovable grin on his face, and Sakura ruffled the blonde's hair.

"You were out for five days, Sakura-chan! Five days! Five friggin' days!" He cried, waving his arms around for emphasis. Sakura laughed, and hugged him again; glad to see her adoptive brother. Sasuke smirked slightly, settling himself in the chair beside her bed, as Sakura reached over to a table and grabbed an elastic sitting there, tying her hair into a messy bun.

"So, what were you saying, Sasuke-san?" Sakura asked, cocking her head to the side, her bangs falling over her eyes. He cleared his throat.

"He and Naruto were on a mission, for me." A new voice said, and all three of them turned to see a beautiful blonde woman in the doorway. Her eyes were a piercing amber, trained on Sakura. "Against the Sound Government. They thought they were being followed, so they couldn't lead them back to the Resistance Headquarters." Sakura blinked for a moment, before narrowing her eyes in a sudden rush of anger.

"So they lead them back to my apartment, so the Sound can burn it down and kill my mother?" Sakura spat, crossing her arms across her chest. "What the hell does that accomplish?" The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think Naruto wanted to kill your mother, Sakura?" She asked, and Sakura faltered, her anger fading already. _What the hell is up with me? I'm losing an argument this fast? _Something told her that it probably wasn't a good idea to mess with this woman though…

"Who are you?" Sakura asked, as Naruto comfortingly wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Tsunade. Leader of the Resistance." Sakura's eyes widened, and she was suddenly glad that she _hadn't _flipped on this particular woman.

"O-oh…"She trailed off for a moment. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade brushed it off, setting a clipboard down on the table.

"Now, Miss Haruno, you have a few choices." Tsunade said. "You can leave our headquarters. We'll escort you out- you'll be knocked out of course- and if we hear of you spreading tales of us, we will personally send someone out to kill you, before Orochimaru can get you. Or, you can stay with us, and join our cause."

Sakura mulled over the offer in her mind. She could see a few outcomes; If she left, she would be put out on the street, scrounging for food and a job. Possibly becoming a prostitute, getting AIDS and dying, from pneumonia because she didn't have a coat. Or she could stay with the Resistance…here, she would have a bed, food, and friends. Most likely, she would die if the Sound ever discovered the Resistance, but, hey, there was a downside to everything.

She chewed on her thumbnail absentmindedly, pondering the choices, before looking back up at the Godaime.

"I'll stay. I'll join." She murmured, and Naruto let out a holler of joy, tackling her in another hug. Tsunade grinned, and even Sasuke let out a small smile. Tsunade retreated to another chair in the room, picking up a pile of clothes off of it, and tossing them to the pinkette. Sakura looked at her curiously, holding up the baggy black cameo pants, white shirt, and black vest. Tsunade shrugged.

"They looked like they'd fit." She explained, and Sakura nodded, returning her attention to Naruto, who was chattering happily.

"…and you really gotta meet the people here they're really, really cool, and me an' Sasuke can teach you how to fight and stuff, so you can go on missions and you said you were gonna go to medical school, so you can help baa-chan and then…" She tuned him out again, smiling slightly as she looked at Tsunade, Sasuke and Naruto.

Maybe the Resistance wasn't so bad….

* * *

Haha, I loved writing the dream/flashback. I'll admit it; I'm a shameless Obito/Rin, Sasu/Saku fan. Sue me :)

R and R guys!

On a quick note, although the Akatsuki are bad in the manga...I just love them too much to make them bad in here. I can't quite beleive that they'll side with Oro-perve. and besides, has anyone read Manga chapter 399-401? It's epic. Haha, therefore, I can't, in my right mind, make them evil.

-Feareth


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